Sand trap for wells



L. L. KELSEY.

SAND TRAP FOR WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED Juv/18, 1921.

Patented oct; 3, 1922.

infinit/ff. 725,44!!! V il Patented that. d, i922.

LESTER LAUREL KELSEY, OF TERSHING, OIKLiLL-IOIVIA.`

SAND maar non WELLS.3

Application :filed July 1S,

.7 o @ZZ whom it moa/'conociera' fi it known that lf, Lns'rnn LAUREL Knnsnv, a ci i/Jen of the United States, residing` at Pershing, in the county of Osage and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in. Sand T raps for Wells; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to wbichit appertainsito make and use the same. i l l This invention relates tocan improved device which designedfor trapping sand and separating it from oil or other liquid, the same being designed for installation in awell at a point between the working lbarrel and the usual stationary perforated anchoring` pipe at the lower end of the barrel.

rihe principal object of the invention is to generally improve upon traps ofthis class by the provision ofone of extreme simplicity and durability which is made up of a plu rality of communicating compartments arranged one above the other and eachbeing equipped with restricted inlets and outlets and the inlet being closed by an upstanding strainer which extends into the interior of 'the compartment and terminates short of the upper end of this compartmentT this strainer being considerably small in diameter when compared to the pipe-section forming the chamber and thus `providing pocket at the bottom of the chamber for collecting the sand.

Another object of the invention is to devise a sand trap Jfor wells which is constructed from ordinary pipe-sections connected together by especially formed couplings including imperforate disc-like sections and carrying integral upstanding tubular perforated portions constituting the aforesaid strainers. Hence, it will be seen that the several pipe sections which go to make up the device can be quickly separated by simply disconnecting them from the coun pling and the sand and other gritty material can be easily and readily removed.

Other objects and advantages ofthe inven tion will be apparent during the course of the following description.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part ot this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure l is a central vertical sectional 1921. Serial No. 485,709,

view through* a device constructed in accordance with the invention. i

I Figure 2 is a similar view with parts `in elevation showing the relative proportions more clearly.

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially ont-he plane of the line 3-3 `of Fig. l.

i As previously indicated, the improved sand trapping device isvdesigned to be installed in the well conduit at ar point between the working barrel and the usual perforated anchoring pipe at the -lower ex` tremity of the well. ln the preferred embodiment of the invention, l; make use of a plurality of ordinary pipe sections l and detachably connect these sect-ions with one another by special couplings 2, thus providing an arrangement which permits the several parts yof the device to be easily and readily disconnected from one another for making repairs and for removing the sand and other gritty material which. has collected in the various compartments. Referring specifically to the formation of 'the couplingsy it will be seen that each one includes a disc-like imperforate portion 3, the peripheral portion of which is surrounded by an annular internally screw-threaded flange 4 extending above and below the upper and lower faces of this disc-like portion shown and providing means for connection of two sections of pipes together. r-rt its center7 this portion 3 of the coupling is formed with an opening 5 which, in one instance serves as an inlet for the chamber and in another instance serves as an outlet for the same chamber. Rising from the center of the part 3 and communicating with the opening 5 is an upstanding tubular part 6 which is closed at its upper end and is formed with a plurality of perforations 7, permitting it to serve in the capacity of a strainer. It is to be noted that this tubular strainer 6 is much smaller in diameter than the pipe section l which surrounds it and therefore provides considerable space between itself and the inner wall of the section to permit considerable quantity of sand to be collected on the upper faces of the couplings. It is also to be noted that the strainers 6 terminate short of the upper closed ends of the chambers so as to insure that the sand will fall down onto the upper face of the lower coupling of the chamber instead of being carried upwardly conduit.

with the liquid and into the neXt chamber which might otherwise occur. From the foregoing it will be seen that the various parts are especially proportioned as more clearly indicated in Fig. 2, to insure eli'ective results. It is to be pointed out here that the uppermost chamber is not closed at its upper end by a coupling and instead of having the tubular portion 6 therein closed and perforated at its upper end, this portion is entirelyopen and a conventional type of ball check valve indicated generally by the numeral 8 issecured on the upperopen end. It is yet to be pointed out that the device in addition to embodying the aforesaid parts, includes the reducers 9 which are connected to the upper and lower chambers and these reducers carry suitable couplings l() which are connected with the anchoring pipe in one instance and the `working barrel in another.

A careful consideration of the description taken together with the drawings will oive a clear understanding of the operation. lowever, to remove all doubt, I will again state that in actual use the device is installed in the well conduit at a point between the working valve and the usualperforated anchoring pipe at the lower end ot the well The oil, or other tluid, passes through the perforated anchoring pipe in the usual way and flows upwardly until it reachesthe lower chamber of `my sand trapping device. As it enters the lower chamber, the liquid is strained by means of the upstanding pipe 6 in this compartment and a considerable portion of the sand 'and grit is removed from the liquid and is: dropped to the bottom of this compartment and it settles on the upper tace or the lower'most coupling 2. However, a single compartment, l have found is not su'liicient'to clarity the liquid much as desired. Hence, it will be seen that as it passes upwardly through the other compartments and is acted on in a similar way, when it enters the working barrel, there is little or no sand left that will interfere with the pumping mechanism. Hence, the valves andv packing and cups oi such mechanism will last much longer than is the case with the present formation of pumps. l have foundthat the liquid after passing through the first two compartments has practically all of the sand removed therefrom. Consequently, when it passes through the valved straining device 6 in the upper compartment, the small quantity of sand carried with the liquid will hardly interfere with the valve carried by this strainer.

Since probably the best results may be obtained with the construction and arrangement hereinshown and described, this is taken as the preferred embodiment of the invention.` However, l wish it to understood that minor changes coming within the scope of the subjoined yclaims may be resorted to.

I claim:

l. rlhe combination with a working barrel, a standing valve therefor7 and a strainer below said valve and working barrel; o'li an enlarged conduit interposed between i and lirectly connected to said barrel and strainer, a plurality of vertically spaced transverse partitions arranged in said conduit and dividing it into a plurality of superposed vertically aligned compartments, all o1 said partitions being disposed below said standing valve to separate the sand from the oil before it reaches said valve, and a plurality of sand trapping or separating tubes rising rigidly from and carried solely by said partitions, said tubes extending into and terminating adjacent the upper ends oi each ot' said compartments.

2. rhe structure set forth in claim l, wherein the standing valveis carried on the upper end of the uppermost separating tube.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LE STER LAUREL KELSEY. 

